At the Gym
by Kalira69
Summary: Challenges may be serious business, but Kakashi and Gai have a playful routine when they spar at the gym. (Modern AU)


Kakashi lifted a hand in a lazy wave as he passed by the front desk - he never bothered to stop and check in, he was too familiar a face here. He made his way directly into the locker room, stowing his bag and slipping into his workout clothes - clinging shirt and loose pants, wraps over the top to keep them snug around his lower legs.

He headed upstairs, moved through some basic loosening stretches while he took in the people scattered around the floor - mostly they were familiar, whether he knew them personally or not - then started a light run on the track circling the whole of the second floor.

It took him right by the end of the floor given over to large open spaces for yoga, ribbon-dances, sparring, and anything else that needed an open area and not to tangle up with people using workout machines or running. Kakashi slowed slightly as he passed by one of the oversized alcoves, glancing over at Gai working with one of his students, the other pair of them sitting near the wall and helping each other stretch.

Gai looked up and Kakashi winked at him, then picked up his pace again. Behind him came a loud _thud_ betokening Gai's student getting the better of him for his distraction and Kakashi grinned behind his light mask.

Fifteen minutes later he had finished a few kilometres and was settling down near the open workout spaces to stretch more intensively. Gai was running another of his students through drills - watching them was surreally similar to watching Gai train with his father, twenty years ago and more - while the remaining pair sparred lightly. Winding down, more than anything, though none of Gai's students were prone to slacking off.

Kakashi pulled his book from his back pocket and flipped it open as he began working his muscles as warm and loose as possible. It was an easy routine, manoeuvring his body to get the most benefit from each stretch and shifting the book to keep it within sight as he moved.

"You're . . . _flexible_."

Kakashi paused, then completed the extension until his chest was pressed alongside his left knee, linked fingers pushing down by his ankle. He cocked his head and looked up to see who had spoken and found a man standing near his right ankle. He was tempted to sit up and sweep it as he brought them together again, see if he could knock the man off his feet, but that kind of impulsive, irritation-born action was something he had grown past years ago.

"Stretching is important." Kakashi said vaguely, and sat up slowly instead, arching his spine backwards and bringing his legs back together without the unbalancing sweep.

He glanced over to where Gai was now leading his students through cooldown stretches, and hummed softly with appreciation. Though people rarely guessed it by looking at the two of them, despite his broad and powerfully-built frame Gai was _much_ more flexible than Kakashi. That fact was currently on display as he folded himself backwards, braced on his forearms with his legs in the air.

Lee was attempting to imitate him, Tenten was doing a handstand, and Neji appeared to be pretending he was above paying attention even as he went through a simpler version of the same stretch.

Kakashi mostly ignored the comments from his impromptu companion, shifting smoothly into another form and moving his book so he could keep reading. He didn't come to the gym to socialise, and most people picked up on that eventually. Some took longer than others. Occasionally he put up with it from his friends, or particularly his students, he saw no reason to do so for someone he'd never seen before and had no desire to see again.

"Rival!"

Kakashi's lips twitched at the cheerful bellow as he kicked his feet up and over and completed the backbend he'd been halfway through. He rose to his feet and found himself facing Gai's brilliantly-smiling countenance. "Gai." he replied dryly.

"You have come to Challenge me?" Gai continued, barely any less loud, a playful glint in his eye.

Kakashi hummed contemplatively, drawing out the moment as Gai _leaned_ slowly closer, steadily invading Kakashi's personal space, almost vibrating with anticipation. "Sure, why not." Kakashi said finally.

Gai let out a triumphant sound, bouncing on his heels, and led the way back over to the area where he had been training with his students. Kakashi collected his book from the floor, bringing it up in front of his face as he trailed over in Gai's wake.

"Hello Kakashi-san!" Tenten said cheerfully, lifting a hand from packing her equipment back into her improbably-small bag to wave at him.

"Hello Gai-sensei's Eternal Rival!" Lee called brightly, rewinding the protective wraps around his hands and arms.

Kakashi snorted at the moniker, but nodded in greeting. Neji returned the nod, leaning up against the wall, waiting for his teammates while attempting to look like he was lounging there for no reason. Gai's aloof, collected little duckling amused Kakashi and brought back memories of himself as a child by turns. Neji was a little softer than Kakashi had been at his age, though, even with Gai forever dogging his steps and refusing to give up on him.

"Are you prepared, Rival?" Gai asked, grinning and taking a position a handful of paces away.

Kakashi made a production of sighing and fingering the open pages of his book. "For you?" he asked as Gai puffed up and glared at the book. He closed it and tucked it away just as Gai raised a hand to point accusingly at it - while Kakashi had been known to taunt opponents by reading while he faced them, there could be no such inattentiveness when squaring off against Gai. He'd get his ass handed to him. "Always, Gai." Kakashi winked at him playfully and fell into a ready stance.

Gai puffed up for an entirely different reason, and Kakashi smiled fondly even as he started moving. Gai shook off his distraction quickly, as expected, and Kakashi's opening blow glanced off his shoulder rather than landing in his face.

Kakashi leapt, gracefully avoiding the sweep of Gai's leg, meant to knock him to the ground. He ducked as soon as his feet hit the floor again, feeling Gai's arm ruffle his hair as it passed close over his head. Kakashi spun, snapping a punch towards Gai's ribs, but he twisted fluidly out of the way, sliding past Kakashi's left shoulder and catching him just under the ribs with the side of one hand.

He let the strike move him even as he struggled to catch his breath - Gai hit hard, and even a glancing blow was enough to leave his opponent staggered and breathless.

Letting the twist continue and rising up onto the ball of one foot, Kakashi lashed out with one foot. Gai bounded lightly backwards, tumbling to land on his palms, then throwing his body upwards again with a crisp turn. He knocked Kakashi to the floor even as he regained his own feet.

Kakashi rolled as he hit the ground, one hand pressing flat to the floor as he pushed himself up and directly into a sharp kick, most of his body behind the blow. Gai laughed as he almost danced out of range, and Kakashi fell back, settling into a wary guard position.

Gai grinned at him wolfishly, quickly moving to close with him again. Kakashi eeled out of reach, keeping a quick pace even when they tumbled to the floor again - not letting Gai gain enough ground to use his greater weight to full advantage.

A well-aimed kick knocked Gai to his knees and he shook himself, looking wobbly for a moment before surging back to his feet and straight into a lunge. Kakashi didn't move quite fast enough and caught the punch along his jaw, not quite a glancing blow but fortunately not straight on, either.

Gai grinned and opened his mouth and Kakashi dove for him before he could speak. He yelped, startled, and had to pull a little fancy footwork to stay on his feet as he jumped out of range. Kakashi laughed behind his mask, a little breathless, but backed away before Gai could turn the tables on him too easily.

Kakashi vaguely heard people talking from time to time as he and Gai circled each other, trading blows and ranging across the available space, up and over equipment and tumbling across the floor. It didn't bother him - it was never terribly quiet, even back here where they usually sparred or worked out together - but if he tried to pay too much attention he would putting himself at a disadvantage.

Kakashi groaned as Gai took him to the ground again, shoulder shoving firmly into his diaphragm. His lungs burned as he struggled to catch his breath, but he shifted quickly, slamming one knee into Gai's ribs and throwing him off.

Gai coughed, the breath knocked out of him in turn, and Kakashi rolled over and pushed himself to his feet, jumping to avoid another lunge from Gai. They traded punches, neither quite landing a solid blow, and then Kakashi ducked away, trying to sweep Gai's legs out from under him as he moved.

Gai fell, and Kakashi grinned as he made to press his advantage, but Gai caught his ankle and calf in both hands and yanked. Kakashi let out a soft cry of surprise as he let himself fall before he twisted a joint out of line, and realised as Gai surged up over him that he had let himself go down to get a better angle. Gai had out-sneaked him.

Kakashi sighed. Either Gai was spending too much time with him, or he had let himself get sloppy. He arched, twisting viciously to try and slide free of Gai's weight pressing him down and Gai's hands tight around his wrists. Gai pressed a knee into his thigh to quell his struggling, hard enough to ache.

 _Gai_ had _out-sneaked_ him. Beat him, yes, definitely - although not easily; they were too evenly matched for either to ever win _easily_ \- but Gai's strong suit was most definitely _not_ subterfuge.

Kakashi tugged against the harsh grip on his wrists, panting, arching his whole body one more time to try and get loose. His hips bumped firmly up against Gai's abs and then Gai shifted to pin him a little more fully. He wasn't _getting_ loose until Gai released him. He let himself melt back to the floor, going limp.

"You win." Kakashi said with a small smile, eyes half-closing.

Gai grinned brightly. "Thank you, Rival!" he cried almost directly into Kakashi's face. He didn't flinch, more than used to the exuberance.

Gai shifted his grip, clasping both of Kakashi's narrow wrists in one of his big hands to free the other and using it to tug Kakashi's mask down. He lifted his jaw to make it easier and in the process tipped his head right up to meet Gai's gentle, firm kiss.

He closed his eyes with a soft purr, and Gai sighed, body relaxing over his own. A moment later Kakashi's hands were free, and he slid them over Gai's shoulders, holding him close as he teased his lover into deepening the kiss with a delicate brush of his tongue. He hooked one heel around the back of Gai's knee, twisting under him this time only to get more comfortable - Gai had won, fair and square, after all.

Kakashi nipped at his mouth gently, playfully brushing their noses together. Gai made a low, pleased humming sound, pressing Kakashi down a little harder beneath him.

"Mm. . ." Gai's eyes were warm and heavy-lidded. Kakashi stretched languidly, pressing up against him and rubbing his fingertips over the nape of Gai's neck. "Shall we have a rematch?" he asked happily.

Kakashi blinked, then frowned at him. "Right _now_?" he asked, wriggling just a little more. Gai's expression wavered. "I mean, we _could_ , but we had a good spar, didn't we?" he asked coaxingly.

Gai nodded, gaze dropping to Kakashi's mouth as he licked his lips, then drew the lower one between his teeth for a moment. He smiled slightly.

"So, instead, you could take me _home_ now." Kakashi proposed, smile widening.

"I-" Gai began, and Kakashi tugged him down and kissed him before he could finish, hands linked behind his neck.

"Come on. . ." Kakashi purred against his mouth, nipping gently.

Gai hummed, bumping his nose against Kakashi's. "I was going to say," he said, voice throaty, "that I agree with that plan. I would say feel free to continue convincing me, but-" he looked up, then cleared his throat almost awkwardly.

Kakashi glanced in the same direction Gai had, and found that they weren't entirely alone. Asuma shook his head and arched a brow at them, looking wryly amused.

Kakashi tugged his mask back into place as Gai rolled back onto his heels, then rose. He held out a hand and Kakashi let himself be pulled up and into a half-embrace, Gai's lips brushing his cheek just above the mask. "But there are better places." Gai said softly, finishing his sentence.

Kakashi laughed softly and nuzzled his lover's cheek. "Home?" he asked.

"Home." Gai grinned, squeezing Kakashi a little tighter.

"All yours." Kakashi said, raising his voice, and waved a hand at Asuma, who was now chuckling, as they made their way out.

* * *

Written for a prompt from a Mousie on Tumblr from a list of 75 date prompts. (A gym date, naturally.)


End file.
